Ipswich Town are five points adrift at the foot of the Championship table. Midfielder Cole Skuse talks about the impact of new boss Paul Lambert, an impromptu round of applause for Jordan Roberts and not wanting to experience the pain of relegation again.

It has been very, very good. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but I’m going through some coaching badges and doing bits and bobs myself. I’ve got a notebook at home that I keep notes in and the pages are filling up quite quickly.

He’s been very good from day one; from the way he has conducted himself to the delivery of his presentations, both on and off the field, which have been top class.

Even on the school run, when I was speaking to some of the mums and dads, they were saying it was a very good performance.

You could see a lot of things, like the patterns we had been practicing, were coming off so on the whole we thought it was a very good performance.

But as much as we could take some positives out of the game, we were disappointed not to get the three points.

ON FREDDIE SEARS

Freddie Sears fires Town into a 1-0 lead against Preston from the penalty spot. Photo: Steve Waller

We weren’t just pleased for Freddie to get his goal but with the way he reacted as soon as the penalty was given. He was ballsy enough to go and grab the ball and say ‘I’m having this’. Being in the position we are in that’s no mean feat.

He took it upon his shoulders to go and get the goal we needed at the time. Fair play to him and as much as we were over the moon for him that he scored, it also showed a sign of his true character that he was willing to take the responsibility like that.

We’re not hiding away from the fact that we need goals and that we are where we are in the league, five points adrift of the team just above us.

Paul Hurst signed Jordan because he’s a good player. For whatever reason things didn’t work out for him under Paul Hurst and Doigy (Chris Doig) but as soon as the new manager came in, from day one or day two, he was asking questions about him and why he wasn’t featuring in the team.

In training his technique is up there with some of the best I’ve seen in terms of his finishing. Also, he’s the type of character you want around the team. He’s fantastic and full credit to him for his performance last weekend.

Jordan Roberts impressed on his full debut against Preston playing as a makeshift striker. Photo: Steve Waller

ON FLYNN DOWNES

I cannot speak highly enough of Flyn. He’s someone who has had recognition with his England call-ups and for me he is someone who should be cemented in and around the England set-up.

He’s a lovable character as well. He’s one who might be the brunt of a few jokes but he takes it on the chin and gets on with it. In terms of playing ability he’s very, very good.

Both Flynn and Andre (Dozzell) are mentally strong kids. Look at Doz, his injury was a real bad one and yet he came back sooner than expected. He doesn’t miss a training session and both he and Flynn are arguably two of the best trainers in the squad.

Their mentality is spot-on, second to none, and you can only wish players like that all the very best for the rest of their careers.

Flynn Downes started Paul Lambert's first game in charge of Ipswich Town. Photo: Steve Waller

ON RELEGATION BATTLE

As much as we are keeping the morale high, we’re not hiding away from the fact that we’re bottom of the league.

Relegation isn’t something you want to go through in your career. It was a horrible, horrible feeling when it happened to me (at Bristol City in 2012/13).

I hope this isn’t speaking out of turn but I don’t see parallels between now and then. Bristol City was my team for a long, long time but there is a better squad here at the moment, in terms of the manager, staff and what we have behind us in terms of help on and off the field, than we had down there six years ago. It’s a much better place here.

Cole Skuse, pictured with Luke Chambers, says the Ipswich Town players are not hiding from the fact they are bottom of the Championship table. Photo: Steve Waller

We’re lucky in the sense that there are still plenty of games to play and we feel as if we have a very, very good squad.